The present invention relates to drawers that are mounted in dressers, cabinets, etc., and a system for the construction of such drawers, a method of accomplishing the construction, and also a particular fastening member to be used in this system.
When a cabinet maker is constructing the drawers for desks, kitchen counters, dressers, etc., he (or she) will commonly construct the drawer box itself and before the drawer front is mounted to the drawer box, the drawer box is placed into the drawer recess of the desk or other structure. Then the drawer front is precisely positioned at a desired location at the front of the drawer box while the drawer box is in the closed position. After this, the drawer box is moved away from the closed position, and while positioning the drawer front in that established desired position, screws are inserted from the back of the front panel of the drawer box to extend through the front panel of the drawer box and into the drawer front. This is an awkward task to perform, and also it presents difficulties in maintaining the drawer front in the proper alignment position while accomplishing the final fastening of the drawer front to the drawer box.
Another method which has been used (or at least proposed) is to provide two right angle fasteners, each comprising two flanges at right angles to one another and providing fastening slots in both of the flanges. One of the flanges of each fastener is screwed to a front part of to the side surface of the drawer box, with the other flange extending laterally from the front surface of the drawer box. The other flange is then fastened by screws to the rear surface portion of the drawer front.
This method also has problems similar to the first described method in that in order to properly position the front drawer, the drawer box (mounted in slideways or otherwise mounted in the desk or counter) is first pushed into its fully closed position, and then the drawer front is accurately positioned. Then the drawer box must be pulled out from its closed position (and possibly removed from the counter or desk in which it is mounted). The drawer front must be maintained in, or again placed in, the desired position, and then the screws are inserted through the front flange to fasten the drawer front to the drawer box.
Thus this method also has problems with regard to maintaining the drawer front accurately positioned during the moving of the drawer box outwardly from its closed position and also in accomplishing the fastening. To the best knowledge of the applicant herein, this has not had any significant commercial acceptance.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system, method and fastener to conveniently accomplish the connecting of the drawer front to the drawers box in a manner that the drawer front can be accurately positioned relative to the drawer box when the drawer box is in the closed position, and then conveniently be fastened to the drawer box in a manner that the desired position of the drawer front can be maintained and the fastening accomplished relatively easily.
The present invention relates to a method of mounting a drawer front to a front portion of a drawer box at a predetermined mounting location, and also to a locating and connecting member to be used in the method.
There is provided a forwardly protruding positioning and locating member at a locating region at, or adjacent to, the front portion of the drawer box, with the locating region being adjacent to a locating surface portion at a rearwardly facing surface of the drawer front, when the drawer front is in the predetermined mounting location.
The drawer front is positioned adjacent to the front portion of the drawer box at said predetermined location. Then a force is applied to cause the drawer front and the front portion of the drawer box to be pressed toward one another in a manner to cause the positioning and locating member to form a locating recess in the locating surface portion of the drawer front. Then the drawer front is connected to the front portion of the drawer box at said predetermined mounting location, while positioning the drawer front at the predetermined mounting location, at least in part by positioning the position and locating member in said locating recess.
In the preferred form, the method further comprises moving the drawer front from the predetermined mounting location after the locating recess is formed, and then connecting the drawer front to the front portion of the drawer box with the drawer front in the predetermined mounting location.
The recess is readily formed by impacting the drawer front.
Also, in the preferred form, the drawer box is initially positioned in a related support structure, and the drawer front is then located adjacent to the front portion of the drawer box and positioned in the predetermined mounting location. After this, the force is applied to form the detent. The first position of the drawer box is desirably a closed position of the drawer box in the related support structure. In this case, the drawer box is moved from the first position to a second position, and the drawer front is then located in the predetermined position.
In the preferred form, there are first and second positioning and locating members at first and second locating regions, thus forming first and second recesses. In the preferred embodiments, there is a connecting member by which the drawer front is connected to the drawer box, and the positioning and locating member is positioned on the connecting member. In the preferred form, the connecting member comprises first and second flanges. The first flange is connected to the drawer box in a manner that the second flange is positioned at the locating region, and the positioning and locating member is mounted to the second flange.
In one form, the positioning and locating member is mounted on the second flange member. In a second embodiment, the second flange is provided with a screw opening, and the protruding member is provided by inserting a screw into the screw opening so that the tip of the screw extends outwardly to form the protruding member. Then after the drawer front is in position and being connected, the screw is screwed further into the drawer front to make a connection of the screw with the drawer front.
As indicated previously, the connecting and locating member is particularly adapted for use in this method as part of the present invention, and in the preferred form comprises first and second flange members connected to each other along a common edge at right angles to one another. The flange members each have at least one opening to enable them to be connected to the box member and drawer front, respectively. In one embodiment, the protruding member is mounted to one of the flanges, and specifically may be integral therewith or fixedly connected thereto. In another embodiment, this is provided as a screw hole having an opening which is sized so that the opening will engage the screw when the screw is moved partially into the hole, so that the screw tip is protruding sufficiently to form the detent.
Further, various modifications could be made in rearranging the components, or reconfiguring these. It is to be understood, of course, that within the broader scope there could be a reversal of parts, and an embodiment could be arranged where the detent forming member could be positioned on the drawer front to make the recess in the drawer box.
Other features of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description.